Textile apparatus



Dec. 18, 1934. w, HOWARTH 1,984,798

TEXT I LE APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1933 Mwwgs Patented Dec. 18, 1934 PATENT, OFFICE TEXTILE APPARATUS ,William Howarth, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application May 23, 1933, Serial No. 672,379 In Great Britain June 10, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-13) This invention relates to textile apparatus and in particular to circular looms, i. e. looms in which the warps are arranged in a circle and inwhich the weft is laid by means of a relative circular motion between the shuttle or shuttles and the warps.

Particular embodiments of such looms are described in detail in Jabouleys U. S. Patents Nos. 1,626,411 and 1,822,292, and in Jabouleys U s. application S. No. 655,560 filed 7th February, 1933.

The object of the invention is to provide means for detecting breakage or slackening of the weft thread, so as to avoid damage or faulty weaving which would arise if the loom were allowed to continue in operation.

According to the invention means are provided which are so controlled by the weft thread that on breakage or undue slackening of the thread the relative circular motion between the warps and the weft-carrying means is brought to an end. Thus the weft on leaving the weft spool may run against or through a device, which is held in an inoperative position by the normal tension on the weft thread, but when the tension is relaxed is enabled to operate clutch means which cause the weft-carrying means and the warps to rotate together. The member directly controlled by the weft should be of a sensitive character, so that in order to actuate the clutching mechanism it is desirable to provide some more powerful means which can be set in operation by the weft controlled member. For example a mechanical connection can be made with the clutching mechanism, as by means of a spring urged member normally retained in inoperative position by the tension in the weft. Or again, use may be made of the relative motion between the warps and the weft carrier by allowing a member to pass through a warp sheet on breakage or undue slackening of the weft and so be forced by its engagement with the warps to propel a member which actuates the clutch mechanism. This member conveniently comprises a rod carried on the shuttle and adapted to be pushed through the warps to release a latch which actuates the clutch mechanism, which may conveniently be of the type described in Jabouleys U. S. Patent No. 1,822,292 or U. S. application S. No. 655560. These prior specifications describe the latch and clutch mechanism for use in conjunction with feelers on the carried by the shuttle through the warps to operate a latch by which the clutch mechanism is actuated. The weft feeler of the present invention conveniently operates to actuate such rod when the weft breaks, so enabling the mechanism employed to stop weaving'in the event of warp breakage to serve the case of weft breakage. The rapid action of the latch and clutch mechanism, especially when constructed as .described in U. S. application S. No. 655560, thus enables cessation of weft laying at any shuttle to be immediately detected, thus avoiding flaws in the fabric from this cause.

The invention is particularly applicable to circular looms in which the warps rotate, since by enabling the shuttles to be rapidly brought to the same speed as the warps, it enables weaving to be stopped in much less time than would be required if the warp beams had to be brought to rest. In such looms, the shuttles are most conveniently held stationary while weaving proceeds, and the weft-feeling device according to the invention permits the means for holding the shuttles stationary to be quickly declutched and the shuttles set in motion. Suitable means are provided which then brings warps and shuttles to rest. The invention may also be used however in looms where the shuttles themselves normally rotate about the loom axis; for example in a loom with stationary warps, the weft-detecting mechanism can operate to bring the whole of the shuttles to rest on the breakage of any weft.

By way of example one form of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to its application in a shuttle of the type described in Jabouleys U. S. Patent No. 1,822,292 and U. S. application S. No. 655560.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 shows in elevation such a weft-carrying shuttle equipped with a weft detector according to the invention, Figs. 2 and 3 are part sectional plan views of the shuttle shown in Fig. 1 indicating the weft detector in inoperative and operative positions, respectively, and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a detail of Figs. 2 and 3 on larger scale.

As shown in Fig. 1 the shuttle comprises a boat-shaped body 12 to the upper side of which is secured a frame 13 which supports a fixed weft spool 14. Outstanding from the nose of the shuttle is a warp feeler device indicated generally at 15 which on breakage or jamming of the warp threads 16 recedes towards the body of the on one side by engaging rotatable members 21,

21 mounted within the shuttle body, and a roller 24 rotatably mounted about a stationary axis within the body of the shuttle acts as an opposite supporting member, being engaged from the rear by one side of a supporting ring 25 extending round the loom. The construction of the vane wheels 19, 19 allows one sheet of the warp threads to pass between the wheels and the shuttlebody, while the opposing sheet of warp threads passes between the roller 24 and the supporting ring 25.

The weft 26 is unwound from the fixed weft spool 14 by an unwinding member 28 and proceeds downwardly through a slot 30 formed in the rear of the shuttle body 14 to a guide 31 from which the weft is laid in the fell of the fabric.

Placed alongside the path of the weft thread 26 between the spool 14 and the slot 30 are two thread guides 32, 33 arranged on opposite sides of the weft thread and in different planes. The guide 32 is maintained in fixed position relative to the shuttle while the guide 33 forms the extremity of one arm of a bell crank lever 34 pivoted at 35 to the shuttle.

A light leaf spring 36 fixed at 3'7 to the shuttle and bearing at the other extremity against that limb of the bell crank lever 34 to which the guide 33 is fixed, urges the guide 33 against the weft thread 26 which, when taut withstands the effort of the spring 36 and maintains the bell crank lever in the position shown in Fig. 2.

0n breakage or slackening of the weft thread, however, (illustrated diagrammaticallyat 26, Fig. 3) resistance to the effort of the spring 36 is removed and the bell crank lever 34 is swung about itspivot 35.

The other arm of the bell crank lever 34 is pivotally connected at 38 to a light rod 39 lying transversely on the shuttle and pointing to one sheet 40 of the warps 16. This rod 39 is guided by means of a pin 43 outstanding from the shuttle body, and extends between a further pair of pins 44, 44 projecting from the bar 18 which, as explained with reference to the warp feeler device 15, is slidable lengthwise of the shuttle. Thus on release of the bell crank lever 34 by breakage or slackening of the weft thread 26 the light rod 39 is urged beyond the width of the shuttle and through the warps 40 as shown in dotted line in Fig. 3.

A pin 45 also outstanding from the shuttle body limits the movement of the bell crank lever 34 so that on engagement of the rod 39 by the warps 40 the pivotal connection 38 between the rod 39 and the arm of the bell crank lever 34 becomes a fulcrum of the rod 39. The swinging of the rod 39 about the fulcrum 38 causes the rod 39 to push against that pin 44, nearest the tip of the longitudinal bar 18 and to propel the bar rearwardly through the warps 40, as shown in Fig. 3. Screw means 46 are provided to enable the pressure of the leaf spring 36 to be adjusted according to the type of weft being used. On emergence of the tip of the bar 18 through the warp threads 40 the tip of the bar presses against a light finger 48 mounted outside the warp circle substantially at right angles to the axis of the bar 18. The finger 48 is carried by a vertical spindle 49 the lower end of which comprises a latch 50 which normally retains the tip of a further rod 51 mounted at the upper extremity of a further vertical spindle 52. From the lower extremity of the vertical spindle 52 extends a shaft 53 whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the spindle 52.

A coil spring 54 is connected to the outer extremity of the shaft 53, and on release of the latch member 50 by the action of the longitudinal bar 18 carried by the shuttle, pulls the shaft 53 into sharp contact with a vertical pin 55 set in the path of rotation of the shaft 53. The pin 55 is integral with a ring 56 extending round the loom and freely mounted in suitable bearings (not shown).

Motion is thus imparted to the ring 56 on breakage or slackening of the weft thread 26, which motion brings about stoppage of weaving in the manner described in U. S. Patent No. 1,822,292 or U. S. application S. No. 655560..

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. Weft-stop mechanism for a circular loom, comprising weft inserting means between which and the warps there is relative circular motion, a feeler on said weft inserting means, said feeler being urged into contact with weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric but restrained by the weft, and a member under control of aid feeler adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet on release of the feeler in consequence of breakage or slackening of the weft in order to cause the operation of means disposed outside the warps for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the weft-inserting means and the wamp threads.

2. Weft-stop mechanism for a circular loom,

comprising weft inserting means between which and the warps there is relative circular motion, a feeler pivotally mounted on said weft inserting means and adapted to contact against, and to be restrained by, weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric, means adapted to urge said feeler against the restraint of the weft so that the feeler is swung about its pivot and released on breakage or slackening of the weft, and a member under control of said feeler adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet on release of the feeler in order to cause the operation of means disposed outside the warps for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the weft inserting means and the warp threads.

3. Weft-stop mechanism'for a circular loom, comprising weft inserting means between which and the warps there is relative circular motion,

a feeler on said weft inserting means adapted to contact against, and to be restrained by, weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric, spring means adapted to urge said feeler against the restraint of the weft so that the feeler is released on breakage or slackening of the weft, and a member under control of said feeler adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet or release of the feeler in order to cause the operation of means disposed outside the warps for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the weft inserting means and the warp threads.

4. Weft-stop mechanism for a circular loom, comprising weft inserting means between which and the warps there is relative circular motion, a feeler on said weft. inserting means adapted to contact against, and to be restrained by, weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric, means adapted to urge said feeler against the restraint feeler to control clutch means which permit the a of the weft so that the feeler is released on breakage or slackening of the weft, a member in pivotal connection with said feeler adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet on release of the feeler and to be swung about its pivot by its engagement with the relatively moving warp threads, and means operated by the pivotally mounted member on such movement adaptedto cause the operation of means disposed outside the warps for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the weft inserting means and the warp threads.

5. Weft-stop mechanism for a circular loom, comprising weft inserting means between which and the warps there is relative circular motion, a feeler on said weft inserting means adapted to contact against,- and to be restrained by, weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric, means adapted to urge said feeler against the restraint of the weft so that the feeler is released on breakage or slackening of the weft, a member under control of said feeler adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet on release of the feeler and to be moved by its engagement with the relatively moving warp threads, and a bar slidably mounted on the weft inserting means adapted to be urged through one warp sheet by said propelled member to cause the operation of means disposed outside the warps for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the weft inserting means and the warp threads. I

6. In a circular loom, the combination with means for bringing to an end relative circular motion between the shuttle and the warps of the loom on breakage or jamming of the warps, said means comprising a feeler adapted to be engaged by the jammed warps and a member actuated by the consequent movement of the relative circular motion, of a weft feeler, adapted to detect breakage or slackening of the weft, in operative connection with the member connected to the warp feeler and adapted, on breakage or slackening of the weft, to actuate said member so as to cause the relative circular motion to be brought to an end.

7. In a circular loom shuttle, the combination with warp feeling apparatus in operative connection with a bar slidably mounted in the shuttle and adapted to be urged by the warp feeling means to cause relative'circular motion between the warps and the shuttle to cease on breakage or jamming of the warp threads, of weft detector mechanism comprising a feeler disposed so as to contact against, and to be restrained by, weft proceeding to the fell of the fabric, means to urge said feeler against the restraint ofthe weft so that the feeler is released on breakage or slackening of the weft,

and a member under control of said feeler and in operative connection with said slidable bar adapted to be propelled through one warp sheet on release of the feeler and to be moved by its engagement with the relatively moving warp threads so as to urge the slidable bar through the warp sheet to bring to an end the relative circular motion between the warp threads and the shuttle.

-8. In a circular loom, the combination with clutch means for permitting relative circular motion between a shuttle and the warps,- of

means on the shuttle adapted to control said clutch means, and a warp feeler and a weft 

